Feast Food Fact: Peas

There are three (3) main types of peas. English or garden peas, snow peas and sugar snap peas. Within the types, there are over 190 varieties of peas. Each with its own unique flavor and qualities. A pea is a most commonly green, occasionally golden yellow, or infrequently purple, pod-shaped vegetable, widely grown as a cool-season crop. The seeds may be planted as soon as the soil temperature reaches 50 °F, with the plants growing best at 55 to 64 °F. They do not thrive in warm temperated lowland, tropical climates, but do grow well in cooler, tropical areas with higher elevation. As soon as peas are picked, their sugars start to convert to starch, so the quicker they make it into the pan, the sweeter they’ll be.